


A Glass of Milk

by kkfullthrottle



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Actress D.Va, EVENTUAL SMUT I PROMISE, Furry, Holy hell it's a slow burn, Monsters, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, So prolly NSFW, Werewolf, essentially. Y'all should know by my icon I'm a furry fucker, werefolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2018-09-27 00:19:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9939455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkfullthrottle/pseuds/kkfullthrottle
Summary: Even international superstars need a moment for themselves. D.Va is no exeption.





	1. Cereal

Hana wasn’t exactly picky when it came to late night snacks, but the selection in the fridge tonight was abysmal. In the cold light, she spied several of her favourites, or where they were supposed to be, rather. An IOU note with a sweetly drawn pig was in its spot, staring back at her sour expression. The only other snacks were a few sticks of celery, vanilla pudding cups, and a near frozen head of bok choy.

She would just have to go to bed without food.

She would not, however, go to bed with an empty belly. Opening a separate door, Hana found herself browsing the drinks section of the Gibraltar kitchen. There were plenty of energy drinks, a fraction of which with her face emblazoned on them. An energy drink would keep her awake for much longer than she wanted, though. She wanted to wind down, not wind up. The last remaining jug of milk beckoned to her, and she was not about to let the sweet creamy drink down.

She stood, and unscrewed the lid of the milk cheerfully, heading to whichever cabinet hid all the glassware.

“Glasses are in the one to your left, Darlin’.”

Hana nearly tossed the milk all over the floor at the sudden sound. She knew that voice anywhere, but she still turned to give a particularly dirty look to the one who startled her.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that, McCree!” She snapped, before going to the cabinet he had mentioned. Luckily there was still a clean glass inside.

The older man held his hands up apologetically, but the smug grin on his face gave away that he wasn’t very sorry at all. “Was I supposed to call out down the hallway, little Miss?”

She didn’t answer him. Instead, she poured herself a tall glass of milk, and set the jug aside, turning her back to the cowboy. She regained her composure as she took a sip of her milk, and after a moment, turned to refill her glass. To her surprise, the jug was replaced with a bowl, and a tall cowboy stood beside her, pouring himself a bowl of tasteless cereal. The kitchen was empty minus the two of them, and he chose the counter space right next to her. 

“Can I help you?” She asked in a tone that was far more hostile than she intended.

McCree gave her a sidelong look, and another signature grin. He opened himself a bit, and Hana got a better look at him. He wasn’t wearing any armour, and the ridiculous serape was thankfully not on his shoulders. The familiar button-down shirt was present, but was mostly open, a white undershirt visible beneath. He was still in jeans and boots, and the gaudy belt buckle still glistened in the fluorescent light. It made Hana feel under-dressed in her pajama shirt and shorts.

“Maybe you could, actually.” He said brightly. Judging by his breath, he must have been out on the patio smoking and drinking. “Y’see, I uh…”

He paused for a moment, and gauged Hana’s expression. She was still more than a little annoyed with him, and it seemed to be quite evident on her face. He let out a small breath, and smiled genuinely. “Did you want any more milk before I here use the last of it?” He asked kindly, holding up the jug with his metal hand.

Hana stared at him, then huffed. “No. I am done.”

“Great. Then how about you join me for a little socializin’?” He asked, that stupid grin back on his face. “I haven’t exactly gotten to know our youngest member here all too well.”  
This was his plan the whole time, wasn’t it? That wicked grin didn’t falter, and Hana gave in, huffing again. It was time to wind down, after all. Maybe this old man was just the thing to put her to sleep. “Fine.”

Without another word, she went to the nearest dining table, and sat down, facing outward. Her glass of milk sat beside her on the table, and she watched boredly as McCree finished up his bowl of cereal with a generous amount of milk. He had spilt some over the counter, and some of his corn flakes were unlucky enough to be washed away as well. Hana watched with amazement as he scooped up the escaped flakes with his fingers, and toss them into his mouth, before bringing the drippy bowl over to the table with him, and across from her. She had hoped not to be face to face with him, but tolerated it as he dug into his messy bowl.

She took a little more in about him. Jesse McCree did not sit as tall as he stood. Perhaps it was because he held his bowl in his hand and slouched to avoid making a bigger mess. She also noted that the scent of tobacco and whiskey was still very apparent on him, even while masked over with milk and corn flakes.

She was interrupted from her inspection with a grunt.

“So.” McCree sat up a little more straight, but slouched back over as he locked eyes with hers. He had a golden shimmer to the normally jet black eyes. She blinked, feeling shorter all of a sudden. He continued, unfazed. “I wanna know. What makes a successful superstar like yourself want to join a crummy, dilapidated, and technically illegal band of misfits?”

“Are you really interviewing me?” She asked distastefully, frowning at him.

He paused from eating for a moment, and his eyes looked away bashfully, but only just for a moment. “Er, not really. But uh.. Gotta start somewhere.” He sat himself up a little, and took a few bites at his cereal. He cocked his brows a bit, as if prodding for an answer.

She was not amused enough to give him one. Instead, she lifted her glass to her lips, and mirrored his expression back at him, unblinking.

McCree seemed a little taken aback by this, and lowered the bowl from his face, re-evaluating her in his head before moving in again. “...Okay then.” He took another bite of his cereal, and his usual demeanour returned. “In that case, I’ll just start elsewhere.” He waited for her reaction, if any, and continued. “You smoke?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Bad for my reaction time.”

“You drink?”

“Not really. Same reason.” She replied bluntly.

“Hm.” He took a few more bites of his cereal, which had depleted from its messy pile rather quickly. “And staying up late, constantly avoiding sleep is good for your reaction time?”

Her brow furrowed. “I still have a reputation to uphold. I won’t give up my career just because I’ve joined a different company.”

McCree smiled, his eyes flashing again. “That ain’t what I meant, darlin’. I was referrin’ to your getting up and turning on your computer around at three in the morning.”  
Her hard expression cracked some. He continued. “I know the difference between videogames and recorded gunshots, kiddo. I also know your own little crisis at home is far from over.”

He stood, his cereal depleted. “I ain’t some blind old man, Miss Song. I’ve been around your block several times over. And trust me, there are some bushes you can’t help but remember.”

Hana remained silent, and McCree took his dishes to the sink, running the water to rinse them out. He turned as he was done, only to find her eyes still on him. He smiled again. “We’ve got a lot more in common than you may think, kiddo.”

Hana was still silent, her eyes narrowed on the older cowboy. He cocked his head, and frowned for a moment, before lighting up. “How about this-” He walked back to her, and flicked the rim of her milk glass with his metal hand. “If you ever need to talk- about anything- you just find me, and tell me you’d like to share a glass o’ milk with me.”

Her expression went unchanged, but he stood proudly. “Give it a good think, yeah, little Miss?”

He turned to leave, and strode across the room. When he reached the door, he paused, and looked over his shoulder at her, only to find her no longer looking at him. He frowned again. “Goodnight, Miss Hana. Sweet dreams.” He left without another word.

Hana sat at the table, alone with her glass of milk. Half-empty. Gently, she pulled her knees up to her chest, and curled into herself, childishly hiding behind her legs.  
She wasn’t going to have much rest tonight, either.

_ _ _

The worst part about the Gibraltar base was the waiting. Assignments had suddenly been put on hold due to some bureaucratic nonsense, and any missions that could be done off the radar did not involve the rogue MEKA pilot. Stealth was not exactly her forte.

At least, not in the suit.

But the days upon days of waiting made her antsy and nervous. The internet speed here was fantastic, even with several dozen people on it at any given point, so she could play any game she could think of without risk of lag or slowing down her streams. But she wasn’t eager or anxious to play.

The best way to keep her mind from wandering to unsavory places was to physically force them out with battle ready focus, and she hadn’t been on a battlefield in ages. Where most people would consider that a good thing, Hana would dispute. It kept her sharp, her mind flared, her focus unwavering. And now, she was dull, distracted, and irritable.

There wasn’t any work to be done, but skills could always be honed. And some physical skills were lagging from her lack of work lately. This meant training, and she needed to dress properly for it. Where normal workout gear would have been more comfortable and easy to wear, it would not keep her adequately sharp.

Hana went down to the hangar and found her plug suit right where she left it in her locker. The periwinkle fabric stretched slightly, but was restrictive in certain places to keep her from getting snagged or pinched. Her light gun, clean and battle ready in the equipment locker, was retrieved shortly after. She was ready for anything.

With a deep breath, she went straight to the training wing of the base. Every conceivable workout was available in the weight room, as well as a dance and martial art studio. There was the outdoor obstacle course, with multiple faux weather settings to challenge one’s self on multitudes of terrain, and there was also a shooting range and simulator back from the omnic uprising. There were also several rooms dotted along the outside of the wing to monitor progress. Back in the day they trained their people to be real superheroes. Now it was empty.

Hana made her way first to the shooting range. Every station slot was empty, but she took her time to choose the right one. Her target was on a motorized track, a silhouette of above average sized humanoid omnic, that would change silhouettes depending on what way it moved. A little control pad was input on the table in front of her, with several optional settings marked along the side of the preset functions. For fun, she clicked the one that said “under fire”.

She did not expect for the one target to multiply into seven. She did not expect for them to all turn toward her and glow angrily. Somehow the silhouettes gained weapons, and before she knew it, the tips of them lit up. Instinct told her to duck, and just as she did, electricity flashed over her in multitudes of little bursts.

 

She was outside her suit, face down in the sand. A hailstorm of flash melted glass and sea spray peppered the puny chunk of broken off armour she had managed to hide behind. The air was filled with mechs, all firing loud blast after blast of hot munitions. She had been on the bad end of an enormous swinging cable, and her mech had been knocked out of the sky in a single, jarring moment. She remembered her screen cracking, and a warning flashing rapidly before she had been blown out, and she hit the surf like a tiny, blue and pink meteor. Her arm had been twisted out of place, and she knew immediately she had a concussion. The pain was unintelligible. Adrenaline was only masking it, like sun glare on the monitor screen.

Mechs had been taken out of the sky every single day. She knew this. She watched it happen. But she also knew not to look down at the ground. One moment of distraction could lead to your own death. Once you were out of your suit, you were on your own. There was no backup except your own gun. Once thrown from your mech, you had to survive for 60 seconds before your location was pinpointed and your mech rapidly reformed enough to sustain combat once again. Only then could you call your safety back again. And until then, you were to the kaiju-like omnic but an insect to smash.

For Hana, this was the first time she had been blown out. But she was not about to be her last day on earth. She fought through the pain and did what she could from the ground, avoiding the shrapnel and stray shots as she ran and navigated back up the beach. If she could get back far enough, she wouldn’t be in the maelstrom of the battle.

She heard the whine of incoming rockets, and she dove, hitting the sand and covering her head as something hurtled out of the sky. There was a sickening crunch of metal, and a popping, burst-like explosion as another mech hit the ground and combusted. She looked up, and watched as a chunk of metal, still red hot and searing, land in the sand in front of her. What looked like a little penguin sticker was melting off of it, sizzling away with an acrid smoke.

Hana looked around rapidly. She knew that penguin’s owner. She went to school with her. They went to tournaments together. They picked animal motifs together and designed their stickers to be friends. To her right she saw the black, twisted metal of a burnt, destroyed MEKA unit, amidst its own crater off to the side of the small beach road. Hana struggled to get to her feet, and stumbled around to the other side of the smoking bot.

Several red stains were left on the pavement from her landing. From the end there was a smash in the road, and a red and black streak followed shortly after. What was left of the MEKA pilot, Hana’s friend, was now just a smear of blood and gore all over the asphalt, bits of hair and charred fabric still clinging to the broken, burning mech.

 

The electricity stopped flaring above her. Hana opened her eyes, and found herself curled up under the table, huddled in a tight ball. Her gun was in the middle of the hall, scattered away from her when she dropped to the floor.

Her eyes burned, and her tear stained cheeks felt raw. Hana swallowed hard, and crawled out from under the table, peeking up to see results splayed out on a screen above it. Nothing but zeroes.

Scrambling a little, she went to go pick up her haphazardly dropped gun, and tucked it into her holster, wiping her face quickly as she gathered up what little she had brought in with her. She needed to leave.

Out of breath and finding tears on her cheeks yet again, Hana turned to the door, and began to head out, her heart pounding like mad. Just before she got to the door, it swung open, and Hana couldn’t stop herself from running face first into someone’s chest. She fell back with a scream, and her arms instinctively went to cover her head.

“Wh-Whoa now!” Came an exasperated voice, and Hana looked up to see none other than Jesse McCree, who was bending down with a hand outstretched. “S-Sorry to have startled ya so bad, little miss.” He said with an apologetic smile.

His expression quickly changed as he read her face. “M-Miss Song? What’s wrong? A-Are you okay there, did I knock you that har-”

Hana swatted his hand away as he went to reach for her, and she scrambled to her feet. “I’m fine! Leave me alone! Stupid McCree!” She shouted hoarsely, before shoving past him and out the door. She made it all of four steps before she was grabbed by the arm, and she whirled around, ready to beat whoever grabbed her. The arm she swung was grabbed as well, and Hana screamed and struggled, ready to fight. Before she knew it though, she was pulled off her feet, and tugged into a tight squeeze.

All she could smell was tobacco. All she could feel was anger and fear. Amidst her struggling, she could hear a deep, gravelly voice trying to calm her down. Tears were flowing down her face freely at this point, and she finally stopped moving, and screamed into McCree’s shirt, pushing her face into him and sobbing without control.

_ _ _

She remembered crying on him for what felt like hours. She soaked the front of his shirt, and despite him repeatedly telling her it was nothing to worry about, she insisted on making it up to him. After a moment of thought, he stood her up carefully and smiled down at her. “How’s about we share that glass o’ milk tonight, m’dear?” were the words he used. She couldn’t refuse.

Nor did she want to.

………………


	2. Pajamas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana establishes Rapport

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience! This one is not as long, but future installments will be lengthier again. Enjoy, y'all.

A few hours had passed, and for the most part, Hana had calmed herself down. She changed out of her plugsuit, and had went to go shower for a bit. She had to examine herself in the mirror carefully, and realized a mask was in order before anything else. She might have been in the frontlines of a battlefield, but she knew full well the industry would tear her down for her skin being anything but flawless. It was cutthroat, but she knew it to be.

After about an hour, she washed off the mask, then went to go change clothes. She wanted to be comfortable tonight, but not freeze to death. After studying her much more limited wardrobe, Hana picked out a sweatshirt that was stylistically too big on her, and some familiar pajama shorts with soft, cute bunnies hopping all over them. A simple pair of sandals soon adorned her feet, and Hana finally left her room, expectant to be cured by the time she returned.

The place McCree had told her to meet him was a little concrete rooftop a little ways from the domestic quarters. Some plastic lawn chairs and patio tables had been set up there who knew how long ago, and were appropriately sunbleached and dirty. A cooler and hot plate with an extension cord was set up near one of the old radar dishes. Apparently they ran to the same power output.

Hana should not have been surprised to find someone up here, as it seemed to be a known place to kick back, but she could not help but be confused when she saw someone other than McCree up here.

He hadn’t seemed to have noticed her, and Hana was okay with that. The elder Shimada brother was a very quiet man, and more than a little intimidating. Hana found his gaze to be splitting, and his body language was almost always unfriendly. He was smoking on one of the off color patio chairs, and watching the Gibraltar sunset.

Hana felt like leaving and coming back later. Hanzo was prickly, and who knew how long he would be up here? If this was his form of recreation, he could potentially be out here for hours. If anyone was going to leave first, she would prefer it be him over her. She was getting herself cured tonight.

It occurred to her as she walked confidently to the edge of the building that she had not brought anything to do. She did not smoke, and wasn’t about to investigate what may have been left in the cooler. Her phone was left charging on her desk. She had come out here distraction free- determined to be focused and be rid of her problems by midnight at the latest.  
Now she realized she may have been hasty in that decision. She neared the edge of the roof, and sat herself down, the concrete and pebbles crunching beneath her as she sat and dangled her legs over the edge. It wasn’t a particularly long fall to the grass, so her nerves weren’t set off by the height.

The view of the ocean and the setting sun was definitely not a bad one. She had hardly noticed it before she sat down, actually. A breath escaped her, one she had not realized she had been holding in. The view was pretty.

“Most tend to greet when they walk into a room with others already in it.” Came a low, cross voice.

Hana was suddenly reminded she was sharing the space with another person. Somehow the view became less beautiful. She turned a little, looking at the source of the voice. Hanzo’s face was one that seemed perpetually annoyed, even when emotionless. Today was no different. His eyes were mostly closed, and sat mostly still, except for when he moved to smoke. He seemed more casual than normal, although Hana was reluctant to use that description for someone normally so traditional.

“You seemed to be enjoying the peace. I didn’t wish to disturb it.”

She spoke plainly, and could feel him prickle more, even from her spot a small distance away. They were all peers here, she wasn’t about to become formal just because he was her elder.

Hana returned her gaze to the sunset over the ocean, and let out a small breath, ignoring the man behind her. She wondered how long it would take McCree to come up here. She also wondered how he was going to get rid of the other man. This was between Hana and McCree. Hanzo did not need to be involved.

As more time passed, the tension in the air seemed to get more and more thick. They were outdoors, so Hana knew it wasn’t the smoke Hanzo was exhaling, but it felt incredibly awkward, like she had walked in on something she shouldn’t have. Hana wished she had brought her phone.

“Hope I ain’t interruptin’ anythin’ here.” Came an amused, gravelly voice.

Hana turned, and sure enough, found a familiar man strolling toward her, carrying an odd selection of things. Her expression must have changed, because McCree chuckled at her.

“Somethin’ the matter, little miss?”

“You said milk.”

McCree looked down at his hands, in which a fair amount of assorted bottles of liquor and several different sized glasses were held. “Ah!” He looked at her when he realized her confusion. “Milk is already here.” He said, motioning over to the cooler with his head.

“These, however,” He lifted the bottles, “Are for us.” He motioned this time to Hanzo.

Hana stared, her expression flat. McCree was smiling widely, his golden eyes shimmering proudly in the falling sun. He blinked when he saw her expression go unchanged. “What’s that look for, Hana?” His smile was fading.

She bit her tongue for a moment, and this time looked past McCree to look at Hanzo. His body language had somehow softened, and he gave Hana a blank, expressionless look, awaiting her answer. She stared for a moment longer, before looking back up at McCree. “Nothing. I just was not expecting alcohol.”

His face lightened. “I always have a drink and a cigar around this time, little miss. Variety helps keep me fresh faced.” He added with a grin. “Now come and grab a seat. I’ll pour you a glass.”

Hana stood, but was a little reluctant to go sit anywhere near the prickly old archer. Hanzo was not going anywhere though, and she forced herself to pull up an old plastic chair to the where the two older men were sat. A jug of milk had been brought out of the cooler, and a tall glass awaited her on a little table beside her and McCree’s chairs.

She sat, and looked at McCree expectantly as she took her glass. He had borrowed a match from Hanzo and lit up a thick cigar, sucking on it firmly to make the end glow red before exhaling a plume of smoke. From a rather large, rather empty bottle, McCree poured two shots of amber liquid, and handed one to Hanzo. They clinked the two glasses together, and almost in unison took them. Hana watched with little interest. These two were very comfortable with each other. That she had known, but was not really around to witness. After another drag from his cigar, McCree looked over at her, somehow even more relaxed. “So. Miss Hana.”

She sat up a little more straight, and looked at him expectantly. This was it. Time to be cured! He gave her a solid look, then nodded his head a bit. “What’s on your mind?”

...Was that all?

She stared, her expression growing more and more baffled with her as she stared at him. “I do not understand.”

He cocked his head a little, and she furrowed her brow as she explained. “How is this supposed to work? What am I supposed to do?”

McCree gave her a slightly worried look, and sat up. He probably was not expecting this much work. Hana immediately kicked herself for not understanding immediately. He bobbed his head a bit, and then found his words. “You just… Speak.” He smiled, a bashful grin spreading across his face. “I don’t mind if you wanna spill your heart out or, complain about something someone did or whatever. It just starts with talkin’.”

Hana still had no idea where to start, and this new direction didn’t exactly help her. She looked down at her milk, and took a swig of it, trying to figure out where to start. She glanced up over the rim, and saw the two men with their ritualistic pouring and knocking back. Hanzo muttered something, and McCree laughed, his sharp canines flashing as he did. Must have been an inside joke, Hana wasn’t listening hard enough to anyone though.

She looked down to her milk, not even half finished. She was starting to feel silly. What was she doing here? This was an intrusion. She was third party here. Looking up, she looked at McCree a little shamefully. “I do not know where to begin. I think this may have been a mistake.”

McCree looked over her for a minute, then gave a half smile. “It doesn’t all have to come out at once, by any means.” He chuckled, then looked at Hanzo for a minute before returning his gaze to her. “This one took weeks before he said even a word to me.”  
Hanzo huffed at that, and Hana was a little taken aback. “You mean this won’t be over by tonight?”

He raised his eyebrows, a little amazed by her question. “Heavens no. It never really goes away at all, little miss.”

She was immediately frustrated. “Then why should I even be here at all?” She snapped.

“Because there ain’t a solution, just easing.” He frowned, and looked away from her for a moment. “There are lots of things that keep us up at night, Miss Song. There are many regrets, many sights, and many phenomenons that just won’t allow it.” He poured another round and took it, gritting his teeth some at the bite. “But talkin’ ‘bout it soothes the soul. It makes our regrets stop festering. It makes those sights fade. It makes those horrible things seem less frightening.” He looked over at her for a moment. “You’re young. You didn’t deserve to see some of the things I’m sure you did. But that’s war. And while it haunts all of us, talkin’ about our ghosts brings that ease of heart.”

Hana stared at him, and looked away. What could she say that these two hadn’t already experienced? She took a sip of her milk, and took a deep breath. She could do this. “I thought I was ready for it. The military I mean. MEKA. Everything.”

McCree smiled warmly at her. “I’m sure you did, kiddo. So did we.”

 

\- - -

 

Hana had not realized how late it had gotten.

By the time the moon rose, her milk had gone. She had shared one thing, then the next. McCree offered support and input, and Hanzo nodded and grunted multiple times to her words. But Hana had made herself a promise not to start sobbing, and several times she broke it.

Each time McCree stood, sometimes a little slower than before, and took ahold of her, whether it be by her hand, by her cheek, or just fully in a hug.

After a while, McCree had poured her a drink, a very strong liquor, and told her to put it back. The stuff was horrible, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She was Korean. By no means was she a pushover, but it had definitely been a while.

And now she was stumbling back to her room, exhaustion creeping through her, alcohol making her feet wobble and her head spin. She couldn’t quite remember how many more drinks she had, or what else had been said. But she did remember McCree easing her off, and sending her off to bed.

She also remembered his eyes, and their soft golden hue and glow. What an odd color that was. Why were they so bright in the moonlight?

She thought a lot about him as she walked back to her room, and then huffed as she opened it, fumbling a bit with her keycard. Her sandals were kicked off soon after, and her top was soon pulled off. She felt warm.

Hana flopped onto her messy bed, and grunted a bit as she pulled away her bunny shorts, then kicked them onto the floor. Her sheets felt good against her bare chest and tummy, and the ceiling fan made her back feel nice and cool. She grunted again as she pulled her pillow close, and debated about taking off her panties for a split moment before deciding against it.

Hana closed her eyes, and let out a soft breath, waiting for sleep to take her. She laid still and quiet for a moment, but it wasn’t long until McCree was in her thoughts. She thought of his smile. She thought of his words. She thought of his laugh. She giggled a little at his laugh. She liked that laugh.

As sleep drew her in closer, Hana rolled onto her side, and she hugged one of her stuffed bunnies. McCree was good.

Very good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAH. Sorry I took so long getting this one out! Thank you all for your comments. Maybe one day I'll actually get to what y'all are here for... Whatever that may be


	3. Sour

The following days for Hana were similar to the ones before them. Mornings began with coffee, usually canned, and a quick breakfast. She would brush her teeth and wash her face, and catch up on any news through the internet. She would send a few messages through her email, update some social media, then get dressed. She would spend the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon in the common area, catching up on her shows or reading. Usually nobody bothered her. In the afternoon, she would stream for a few hours, answer fanmail, then logoff. This usually lasted until the evening. She would then debate about going to drink with the two older men on the patio. She decided against it each time.

It wasn’t until a few days later while Hana was in the kitchen heating up a chocolate muffin for breakfast that her routine was suddenly put aside.

“Those get plenty messy unless you have some napkins, little miss.”

Hana nearly leapt out of her skin, and spun around. Immediately her face turned sour. “McCree! What did I say about sneaking up on me?” She snapped, a bright blush forming over her cheeks.

McCree laughed, then waved an apology. “Sorry, little miss. I forgot to leave the room and call out from down the hallway.”

She fumed. “You at least ought to walk a little louder. I thought cowboys were supposed to have spurs.”

He grinned. “I do have spurs. They just aren’t on my boots.”

It took her a moment to get what he was implying, and she gave him another dirty look as the microwave dinged. He politely handed her a napkin as she pulled out her muffin. He turned toward her as she went to sit. “Aside from scarin’ the pants off of ya, I’ve got stuff to do with ya.”

“Like what?” She asked with indifference.

“Mission orders. Hot ‘n’ fresh.” He held up a file, and tossed it down onto the table beside her breakfast. “You finally get to leave this stuffy little base for a bit.”

Hana picked up the file, and thumbed through it. She quirked an eyebrow at the details. An actor she personally knew was hiring them for private protection during a screening. She thumbed through it more, and frowned, particularly at the lineup of agents selected. “This does not seem like a very cohesive team to put together.” She said flatly.

McCree shrugged. “Read a little more on the details, little miss.”

She did. Almost immediately her mouth fell open. She was going on this mission without her mech. The only backup she had would be two “bodyguards”, Lena Oxton and Hanzo Shimada. She would be the actor’s undercover bodyguard. That meant a fancy dress, fancy makeup, and no body armour. In fact, she would be mostly unarmed. She would be given her light pistol, but that would be in a handbag.

She frowned. “I do not like this. At all.”

McCree grimaced. “A little tactical stealth is needed, Miss Song. He insisted you show, since he already knew you. Your appearance is mostly for show. It’s the others doing the tough work here.”

“I still do not have to like it.”

“You don’t gotta like it, little miss. But orders are orders. Even if it means puttin’ you in front of the wolf’s teeth without gloves.”

That analogy was baffling. She looked back down to the mission details with distaste. She really did not like this. Hopefully the mission was as it said it would be, just publicity and without any hitch. All she had to do was pose as a colleague’s date. That wasn’t hard, right? She wouldn’t be defenseless, and she still had two well trained agents as backup. She sighed, and closed the file again. She would not be able to rest easy until she got back.

The mission was supposed to last for a few days, and Hana made sure to pack what was necessary. The actual mission was for one evening, but getting recon for the area was of utmost importance, and Morrison knew better than send his team unprepared for even a simple mission.

That said, the hotel they were checked into was far too lavish to be on budget. Hana had not been in one so fancy in months. She had her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, and she felt a little underdressed as she walked in.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place, Winston?” Lena suddenly piped up from beside her. Hana looked over, and saw her with a dubious expression, and a finger to her ear bud.

“I’m positive.” Came a voice in her ear. He spoke over comm. “This is the exact hotel the client paid for the team to use. It is his money covering for expenses. He can pay to have us wherever he wants.”

“Just making sure.” Lena said with a grin. “I could definitely get used to this.”

“If you’d like to pay for a fancy hotel room on every mission out of your own pocket, you can.”

“I’d prefer if it not be out of mine.” She said with a pouty voice.

“Then take what you get, Tracer.”

They bickered for a bit afterward, and Hanzo excused himself to check them in. Hana turned down the volume of the arguing, and followed after him. He looked casual, with tan slacks and a plain v-neck. She faintly listened to his conversation with the person at the desk, and her mind wandered. She stared at the aquarium behind the desk, at the fish and decoration within, and frowned.

She really didn’t like this.

\- - -

The room was nice. It was a deluxe suite with two queen sized beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom more deluxe than the one she had at home, and a separate living and dining room. Most of their team equipment was set up there. Hana had tossed her bag on one of the beds out of habit, not really caring which one it was. For the rest of the day, she spent her time on her phone. The hard work was with the others, and she was only going to get in the way if she wasn’t specifically asked to help.

That evening was when Hanzo and Tracer were going to officially test their course for the next evening, just in case something went wrong. Hana was not invited. For the better, so she thought.

She considered ordering room service, but decided against it. In a fancy hotel like this, it would be ridiculously overpriced for something adequate. Instead, she put her shoes back on, made sure she looked presentable in the mirror, then grabbed her purse off the counter. She stared at the earpiece she left on the table. She was supposed to put it in whenever she left the room. She frowned at it. Probably wouldn’t need it. If they truly needed her, they could just call her on her phone.

She left it on the table, made sure she had a room key, then left. It’s not like she would be gone for very long.

The streets were mostly clear, and Hana had to check the time. It wasn’t terribly late, and even on a weekday, she thought that the streets would be a little more full. This city certainly had changed.

When Hana stepped inside the fast food joint, she was greeted by a friendly looking omnic. She nodded in return, and made for the counter. Her order was simple, and came out to her quickly. She spent her time on her phone as she ate.

A ping from her messages made her blink.

Hana put down her drink, and opened the message. She was greeted with a picture of a sunrise, and in the foreground a glass of opaque white liquid. The sender was a J. McCree.

For the first time since she left the base, Hana smiled. Scrolling down, she looked at what else he had to say.

“I figure you’d want one when you get back. I’ll make sure there’s one waiting.”

She typed a response.

“Can’t wait”

It was a few moments before she got another ping.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I told Han to buy some for y’all while yas were out there.”

At this, Hana felt her smile break. She hotly decided between telling McCree to call it off or that she would be fine with waiting. But she didn’t get the chance, as another message popped up from him.

“Trust me, little miss. You can talk to him.”

She put down her phone. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

...But she trusted McCree. Sighing, Hana stood, and went to throw away her trash, before heading out of the restaurant. The walk back to the hotel felt even longer than the one leaving it, and the people seemed even fewer.

Everything was the exact same when she got back. She grumbled to herself, pulled off her shoes, and put her purse back down on the counter, before heading to the bedroom. She flopped face first into the mattress, and stayed there for a few minutes, thinking about what her next move ought to be.

Apparently she had dozed off. The hotel door closing startled her awake, and she sat up quickly. The lights were still on. Did she wash her face before falling asleep? What time was it? Looking around, she found that it was a little past two in the morning. Yawning, she stood, and went to the bathroom, turning on the sink and getting her toiletry bag to pull out her skin care supplies. Lena’s chipper voice rang out clearly, and she piped up suddenly. Over the running water, Hana could not make out what she was saying, but the hotel door opened up and closed yet again.

Hana sighed, and finished up with her regimen, before walking out of the bathroom. She changed into her pajamas, this time a matching tank top and loose short shorts, light blue with variously colored kitty faces for a print. Stepping out of the bedroom, she found Hanzo leaning on the counter, evidently waiting for something. Hana looked at him, then the hotel door. “What did Tracer leave for?”

“To call her girlfriend.” Hanzo answered curtly.

“Ah...Okay.” Hana replied a little awkwardly at his tone. She knew him to always be this prickly, but she was still taken a bit off guard.

“That just leaves the two of us.” Hanzo followed up, his tone still flat. He seemed to pause a moment, before nodding at her. “Do you need to talk?”

Hana was hesitant for a moment, her eyes looking away from his. “No. I do not.” She shot him a dirty look. “You can tell McCree I also do not need you to babysit me while I am here.”

“I did not say I was going to babysit you. And McCree has nothing to do with this.”

“What, he didn’t tell you to ask me how I feel?” She asked, sounding a lot more snide than she needed to.

He paused for a moment. “It was I who suggested it, actually.”

That caught her off guard. When she did not answer, he continued. “When you did not join us for nearly a week, I thought something may have been bothering you. It was why McCree asked Morrison that I be on this mission with you.”

She swayed a moment. “Why not just come himself?”

“Conflicting interests. He has somewhere to be.”

Hana remembered the sunrise picture. She wondered what could be so important that he could not make it to the night of the mission. After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat. “If you do not wish to talk with me, perhaps you would like to share a drink?” He held up a bottle with a green label. “In America, you will not be able to buy it yourself.”

She frowned, but she looked at the bottle anyway. “Soju?” She asked with skepticism. “Did you buy that just for me?”

He smiled, for perhaps the first time she had ever seen. “No, actually. It reminded me of my brother. Its origin only came to mind when I offered.”

Hana was skeptical of that, but she was not about to turn down a taste of home. She sighed after a moment. “Fine. A few drinks. But I’m tired. So it’ll ONLY be a few.”

\- - -

It was definitely more than a few. Hana was a fool to think to challenge herself to keep up with him. But an offhanded comment had insulted her, and now she needed to prove something. Specifically what, she could not remember. She couldn’t even remember what the offhand comment was. But her world was spinning, and the clock was only now nearing the 3. Hanzo didn’t seem to mind, but maybe she was just good at concealing it.

He went to pour himself another glass, and as she went to do the same, he lightly took ahold of the bottle. “Miss Song, with all due respect, I do believe you have had enough.”

Okay, she was definitely not good at concealing it. But it was rude of him to point it out so bluntly like that. She opened her mouth to say something, and he shook his head. Or.. did he just turn his head toward her the once? Nothing was making sense. Perhaps he was right. She nodded, her head bobbing deeply. “Yeah. I think you are right.” She stumbled a bit in her pronunciation. And, after a moment, “I am very tired.”

He nodded this time, and took back his drink alone, before screwing the lid back on the bottle, which was rather empty. They made rather quick work of it. He huffed, and sat up in his seat, letting out another breath and closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. Hana stared at him with scrutiny. “You’re drunk.”

“Not as bad as you, Miss Song.”

“I dunnoo…” She slurred, standing up triumphantly.

This turned out to be a mistake. The momentum was a bit too forward, and she was now stumbling. Before she knew it, she collided with something solid and meaty. Hanzo had jumped out of his seat to catch her, and had done so less than elegantly with his chest. He grunted uncomfortably, and Hana made a disgusted noise before being helped back onto her feet properly. Hanzo gave her a sour look as she got back up. Hana looked at him for a good moment.

“Brick-tits.” She said pointedly, before turning on her heel, and promptly stumbling again. This time she caught herself, and she shot back a dirty look to the archer, who had tensed to help her again. “I can take care of myself, thank you.”

His concern melted back to another sour look, and she carefully made her way back to the bedroom. Once inside, she flicked out the lights, and flopped on the bed, fumbling with the blankets and sheets until she was under them, the pillows surrounding her completely. She took a breath, and closed her eyes. Stupid Hanzo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to write... I'm sorry for the wait!! Hopefully next chapter will not take this long!


	4. Commercial

When Hana awoke, she knew two things. One, she had a pounding headache, and two, she desperately needed a cup or three of water. As she came more into the waking world, she soon remembered where she was, and why her bed was so suddenly comfortable. She grunted, and pushed herself up onto her knees. 

She found the bedroom to be devoid of anyone, and the curtains keeping most of the sunlight out. In the darkness, Hana could make out that the other bed was unmade, and soon found the alarm clock on the bedside table to be unplugged. That wasn’t helpful. Grumbling, she scoured through her pillows and blankets, and winced as she turned on her phone screen. 12:30.

She blinked at that, then her eyes widened, and she scrambled to get out of bed. She stumbled a bit to the bathroom, and cursed loudly when she turned on the lights. That really fucking hurt her eyes. And head. Holy shit did that hurt her head. She grumbled, her hand over her eyes, the other blindly leading her (hopefully) to the counter.

Her morning regimen took a lot longer than it normally did. How many drinks had she had last night? How drunk WAS she? Mama always did say to drink a cup of water between drinks. Hana regretted not doing it last night.

A shower was in order. A very cold one. Okay maybe a warm one.... Or a hot one.

It took her an hour to pull her hungover self back together in the bathroom, and finally emerge into the rest of the hotel room. She was greeted by sunlight, and her teammates. Lena looked completely chipper, and greeted Hana with a bright smile. “Good morning, love! You want some room service?” She pointed, and Hana’s eyes followed her hand over to a ridiculous platter of food.

There were waffles, muffins, pancakes and crêpes, fruits beyond counting, several varieties of yogurts and cereals, and multitudes of meat and eggs, all cooked in different ways. This looked like a tiny buffet rather than room service. “This is a lot.” Hana said under her breath.

She was not about to pass up an opportunity to eat, though. Especially one so extravagant. Taking a plate, she loaded up, the fruits still remarkably crisp and cool. Squinting a little as she walked back to the very sunlit dining area, Hana found a place amongst the equipment to set down her plate, and she began to eat, not even bothering with utensils as she filled her rocky tummy.

She hoped that this would be over before this evening. A hangover on a competition day was enough to trip her up and not play her best, most devastating game, but a hangover on a mission?

Her mind wandered, and she stared at her plate, the colors beginning to stir, horrible imagery starting to unfurl. She felt suddenly sick, and-

There was something suddenly thrust in her face. She recoiled, blinked, and stared. Milk? Looking up, she saw a particularly disheveled Hanzo holding the glass out to her. His hair was messy and still down. The lines on his face looked deeper, and his eyes were covered by a wide pair of sunglasses. He was silent for a moment, before speaking up. “If you do not take it, I will drop it in your lap, Miss Song.”

She blinked, and took ahold of the chilly glass, giving Hanzo a sideways glance. He grunted, and stalked off to the bathroom. Hana stared after him, before turning in her seat to focus on her unfinished food. Her hands tightened around her glass. That’s right. This was just like all her other gaming competitions. Even after a party the night before, her teammates were always there to back her up. They always would be. She took a breath, and exhaled, feeling much more calm than she had been several moments before.

As Hana finished up eating, she heard the scraping of wood over tile, and she looked up to find Lena had scooted her chair over, an expectant smile on her face. Hana stared at her. “Yes?” She was a little hesitant to give Lena even that, her smile was ominous.

“You seen your gown for tonight, Hana? It’s amazing.”

Oh right. The mission. The one without her mech. That’s right. Fantastic. Lena gave her a disappointed look. “Don’t look so nervous, mate. You’ll look incredible. You’re doing the least dangerous part of the job, AND look beautiful doing it!” She beamed. “I get a rather dapper suit, if I do say so myself. And Hanzo and I will be your bodyguards, so you don’t have to worry ‘bout anything.”

Hana didn’t say anything, but the look on Lena’s face was more telling than her words. After a moment, she sighed. “Do you want me to try it on?”  
“Yes!!” Lena nearly leaped out of her seat. “I’ll go get it right now! Ah! And then we need to get you to the salon..” She scurried off to the far end of the hotel room, pulling a hanger out of a closet, and bringing back a large black bag attached to it. She was positively beaming. “I’ve never been to a red carpet event like this before! And I get to be working it! That’s like being in it myself!”

“Didn’t you receive rewards and medals for your time before the break?”

“Well of course I did. I have world renown for being a hero, not being a star!”

Hana gave her a long look. Someone clearly had priorities. She shrugged, then stood. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

\- - -

To Lena’s credit, the gown was incredible. It fit Hana like a glove. It was a bright, cardinal red silk, and draped loosely to the floor. The front was higher cut, but the back was almost nonexistent. It showed a tasteful amount of her body, at the cost of having no protection.

“This job is for a public statement, D.Va. There is almost no risk at all. The actor is just flaunting that he can hire a celebrity date and a dead corporation to be his bodyguards. You don’t have to stress.”

Kind words, but not as reassuring as she wanted. Perhaps she was just paranoid. Yeah. This was just paranoia. She had an assassin and a world renowned hero as bodyguards for her as well!

She was doing her best to pump herself up in the salon. Her hair was being put up in a ridiculous amount of pins, which meant her hair was definitely not going anywhere, at the cost of 83 bobby pins to the stylist.

Another artist was working on her face, giving her a bold, yet refined look. She looked stunning, as was the point. She protested going on a red carpet without her trademark pink whiskers, but the artist refused to paint them on for her. Unfortunately, the other stylist had firm control on her skull, which was the only thing keeping her from snatching the hot pink lipstick from the counter and drawing the marks herself. Perhaps it was more fortunate.

Her shoes made her taller, but weren’t a nightmare to walk in. Her accessories were chosen specifically for her, which allowed her to hide her pistol in her clutch, a communicator in her ear, and, just in case, an alarm beacon that could resist jamming signals. It was only to be used in the extreme case of being separated from her teammates and in mortal peril. Lena assured her she wouldn’t need it, but Hana felt a whole lot more comfortable having it with her.

The evening approached like a storm. Hana felt jittery. She had to stop herself from picking up her phone. That would only make her anxiety worse. And no matter how many reassurances she was given, she felt like nothing would abate her nagging feeling of dread.

“Just be a star.”

“It’s like any other red carpet event, you’ve done those before.”

“Stop pacing.”

“You’ll just kick into gear when it happens, just like always!”

“Why are you so nervous?”

Hana stopped, and closed her eyes. She felt like cracked glass. When was she going to shatter? Not tonight. It could not be tonight. Do not make it tonight.

Deep breaths. Chill out. This was just a game. She could do games. She was the best at games.

...That’s right. She opened her eyes. Tonight she wasn’t Hana Song. Tonight she was D.Va. International gaming icon and Korean MEKA hero! Another deep breath. She would be on top of this like she always was. Be confident.

A voice in her ear interrupted her thoughts. “The limousine is there. It’s showtime, everyone!”

“Winston, did you mean to make that terrible pun?”

“It seemed very fitting for the event, Tracer. How could I not?”

An argument ensued. Hana grinned as the two bantered. Why was she so worried? Another deep breath. She held it in for a moment, then let it out as she was escorted from the room, and led down the hall to the elevator.

Time seemed to skip from there. One moment she was in the elevator, the next she was in the limousine. She heard Winston’s voice, she saw her fellow actor. Robert Greenways. He was taller than her, had dark hair, was built like any other superhero actor. She remembered him to be funny when he was off the set. The rest of the trip was small talk and mission details. He didn’t seem to have any real worries, he was just glad that they agreed. 

What was that supposed to mean?

Too late to think about words said minutes ago, the limousine was stopping. Deep breaths. Hanzo and Tracer stepped out of the limousine. Her date followed, and she stepped out last. She made sure she had her purse.

The moment she stepped out, the world seemed to drown out the din around her. She could hear her breath, and the words around her were hazy. She could make them out, but luckily, the people around her knew what they were doing, and they were leading her with them. Robert kept a hand on her back, closer to her shoulder blades than to her rear. That was reassuring. This was purely professional. Or maybe she was reading too much into it. She peered up at him as he led her closer to the red carpet. He returned the look a moment later, then pointed to his lips, which were smiling.

Right. She probably looked like a lost lamb right now. She certainly felt like one. The real world just seemed so far away. She took another deep breath. Why was she feeling like this? Why wasn’t it going away?

Calm down. Calm down! Why are you freaking out? Why are you doing this?

She forced her lips into a smile, and looked up at him. “Like this?” She added, knowing how to lilt her voice just right. She trained herself to talk like that. She could hardly hear it through the deafening fog, but she knew how to do it. He seemed to smile wider, and nodded, and before she knew it, she was back in the limelight.

Winston was saying something. Or was it Hanzo? She could hardly tell. Nobody sounded right. Just words pounding at an invisible wall. All she knew was that she had to keep moving forward. She has done this before. Smile at the cameras, pose just right. Look at more than one camera. Make sure they know who you’re wearing. She didn’t even remember who she was wearing. Someone was bound to tell her. Hopefully nobody would ask. She peeked at her clutch as she was led away from the photo wall. A brand she recognized. Thank goodness.

Winston was saying more. She couldn’t make out his words. They didn’t seem too urgent. Robert was leading her further. Hana couldn’t pick out in the crowd where Tracer or Hanzo had gone. She hadn’t seen them since the limousine. Hopefully they knew what they were doing.

Robert was pulled away, and someone else took her hand to do a quick interview. She gave the woman a clean smile, focused on her lips to read her words. English started to feel incorrect and cloggy in her head. Why couldn’t they speak Korean instead? Her dress. They were complimenting her dress. They said the designers name for her. Thank goodness. How did she come to choose this specific dress?

“To be honest? It sorta chose me.” She laughed. It was fake, and she smiled afterward. It was horribly cliche, but Hollywood liked that kind of thing. She went on. “The designer sent me a picture of it and told me they would be ecstatic to have me in it. How could I refuse?” She lied about that part. But hopefully nobody would call her on her bluff later.

She was dismissed, and still alone. She did what naturally came next. Address the fans. There were a whole lot of them, mostly here for other stars, but some were there for her, too. She had an extra pocket in her clutch. It was filled with bubble gum and several colors of marker. Just what she needed.

Autographs were easy. Taking selfies was cake. She was just interacting. The world felt a little clearer, sort of. Finally she got to the last person excitedly asking for her to sign something.

A woman in her late 20’s perhaps? She had black hair with a purple gradient, and her hair was shaved down on the one side. She was dressed nicely, but simply as well. A cocktail dress and flats. Both were different shades of purple. She must’ve really liked the color. Hana complimented the woman on her nails. They looked expertly manicured.

She was being pulled away again. Robert had caught up. “Enjoy the film!” He remarked to the woman in purple before leading Hana over to the theatre. When Hana looked back to wave, the woman had already disappeared into the crowd.

Inside the theatre, they were met with Tracer and Hanzo. They gave a short update on the situation. Area secure, nothing to worry about. They were going to be on the guard of the two for now. Thank goodness.

More words from Winston. Hana felt tired already. Not sleepy, but exhausted. Nobody could see them in here, so Hana’s false smile had faded away. She didn’t want to keep it for any longer than absolutely necessary anyway.

“We should find our seats.”

Hana nodded, and was led into a large auditorium. Apparently the premiere was a bigger ordeal than she had imagined. Her seat with Robert was near the front of the auditorium, but not the first row. Robert murmured that they were the best seats in the house.

“It’s going to be about an hour before we actually begin the viewing though. Would you like to go wander around, mingle a bit? I know I have to in my circles, but I won’t drag you along.” Robert smiled at her at that. He was being genuinely pleasant to her. 

“I wouldn’t mind that, actually. Can you point me toward a restroom?”

He did, and she took her leave of him. She needed to calm down. Everything was a haze now. On her way out, she passed her body guards, and they regarded her briefly. Hanzo followed her into the hallway, and then up the stairs on the far side of the building. Hana just wanted to be far away from the bustling. She wanted to run, to scream, to cry, but she didn’t know why. She felt overwhelmed, but this was just a small mission!

“Miss Song”

She was standing at the end of an empty hallway, staring down a door. How long had she been there?

“Hana.”

She jumped. She knew that voice. Hana turned around, and saw Hanzo, staring at her sternly, like he always did. In his outstretched hand he had his cell phone. She stared at it blankly, then back up at him.

“Hana.”

The voice came from the phone. It was McCree.

“Deep breaths, little miss. I can hear your heartbeat all the way out here! Don’t tell me I startled ya.”

She almost scoffed. “No, you didn’t.”

“She jumped a bit.” Hanzo interjected.

McCree laughed from the other end. “Gracious. I didn’t think I could do that to you halfway across the world.”

“You didn’t call out to me before you did it.” She joked.

“I do believe Hanzo did that for me.”

...He was right about that one.

“Little Miss. Chill out. Stop thinking about this as a dangerous mission. This is just a game, just like any other. But you already know that, right?”

“...Right.”

“So stop panicking. Just party the rest of the night! You’re essentially doing that anyway! Ask for a tres equis and tequila.”

“Do I want to know?”

“It’ll knock you on your ass, probably. But if it doesn’t, it will cool your jets, at least just a little bit.”

Hana took another deep breath.

“That’s what I like to hear. Unless that was a sigh. Was that a sigh? I get those from Hanzo a whole hell of a lot.”

“It wasn’t a sigh!” Hana laughed, genuinely, for the first time in what felt like ages. She paused. “Thank you, McCree. I needed that.”

“No problem. Now stop distracting Hanzo from his job and go have fun for the rest of the night. That’s what you’re really there for, kiddo.” He chuckled. “If that doesn’t help, I’m gonna get Hanzo to hug you.”

“I think I am alright in that regard.”

“You make me do nothing, Cowboy.” Hanzo chided as well. There was a laugh on the other line.

“I make you do lots of things, Hanzo.”

“This conversation is done.” And with that, Hanzo turned and clicked off his phone before McCree could say another word. He glanced back at Hana. “Let us go, Miss Song.”

\- - -

The movie wasn’t all that great. By the time Hana was in the limousine with Hanzo and Tracer alone, she was already making jokes about it. The world had cleared again, and with the mission rapidly fading behind her, she felt silly for having been so panicked about it. Really, what was she fearing?

When they got back to the hotel room, Tracer announced she was going to go outside for a bit to talk with her girlfriend, and promptly went to go make her call.  
The door closed, and Hana and Hanzo were left alone at the table.

“Does she do that every night?” Hana finally asked Hanzo.

“Most nights, yes. Lena talks to Emily on a regular basis.”

“That’s pretty cute, actually.” Hana smiled softly, beginning to take the pins out of her hair. After a few moments, she looked up at him again. “Is that why you somehow had McCree on the phone, tonight?”

He didn’t recoil, but he did sneer a little bit. “You were a jeopardy to yourself. My words would not seem to get through to you, so I tried the next best thing.”

“Is that what he does for you, too? Calm you down?”

There was a moment or two of silence, and after a moment he answered. “Yes. I suppose you can say that.”

Hana’s smile lingered for a bit. “Thank you for trying, though, Hanzo.” She sat up some, still picking pins from her hair. “I apologize for being so… Pathetic.”

He brushed it off. “I solved my issues with alcohol for quite a long time. At some point of our lives, I think we all have cases of being pathetic.” He grimaced. “You are young. Better to be pathetic now than later.”

She nodded. She knew the stories. She knew why Genji was a cyborg.

The silence between them was comfortable, and Hana continued to pick the pins from her hair, the pile on the table growing menacing. It felt like a lot less going in. Once freed, her hair fell back down around her shoulders. She looked over at Hanzo, who seemed to be lost in thought. She chewed at her lip for a moment.

“Hey.” She paused a moment. “I know I said I was alright earlier, but… I uh..” She trailed off, looking away, then down at her feet. Slowly she returned her gaze, feeling childish. “Would it be okay if I asked for that hug?”

Hanzo’s expression went from stern to taken aback. He looked away for a moment, then huffed. “If… That is what you truly require, I would not.. Er, have any objections.”

She felt relieved. “Great. Maybe I am just long overdue for one.”

The two of them stood, and stared at each other for a moment, unsure how to properly interact with one another. After a moment of frustration, Hanzo took ahold of her hand, gave it a small squeeze, then shifted forth, lacing his arms under hers and pulling her softly into an embrace. She let out a breath as he did, and closed her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder, and letting herself lean into him as she returned the hug.

Something like this was definitely long overdue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!! Sorry this came out so late! I've had it sitting open on my laptop for ages now but haven't had the time or drive to get it all written! Thank you for reading and commenting, I always appreciate it!


	5. Lean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a long wait, y'all! I made this chapter a bit longer to try and buy forgiveness, hehe.
> 
> enjoy!

The flight back to the Gibraltar base was longer than Hana had hoped it would be. Luckily it was a direct flight, but it was a very long one. Hanzo had suggested for her to read a book or catch a nap, but she insisted she wasn’t tired. She played some handheld games, a few mobile games, scrolled through her social media, and even debated about scribbling her name on the underside of the table with a permanent marker.

A better part of her told her not to do that.

She did, however, decide to go digging through the old drawers on the ship. There was a surprising amount of junk that had been left behind. Some old glassware, pens, magnets, t-shirts that were soft and faded, (one of which now hers) as well as a bunch of pictures of people she mostly did not recognize. As she dug through them, she also noticed a very, very old instant camera hiding in the drawer. She looked over it, wiped off the dust, and clicked the power button. To her surprise, the battery still worked. Upon further examination, she noticed that there was still film inside it as well.

Smiling, she gathered a few of the old pictures, some of the magnets, the camera, and her new shirt, and took them over to the table, hanging up the few of the people she knew on the wall. Hanzo, who was reading at the table, glanced over what she had brought. He gave her a funny look, and she gave him a lopsided smile. “I was snooping through the drawers.”

 

“Clearly.”

“Hey, actually-” She sat down, and picked up the camera. “This old thing still has film! Do you want to see if it will still make a good selfie?” She beamed brightly at him, and Hanzo stared at her for a good few moments before letting out a sigh. 

“You are just like Genji. Fine.” He watched her hold the camera out at arm’s length, and pointed it at the both of them. After a moment or two of fumbling, he grunted, and reached out to take it from her. “It would be easier from my side.” And with that, he held it out just a tiny bit further, before tilting it around some to get them both in the shot. Hana posed, and the flash went off, blinding her for a split second as the camera rolled out its photo.

Hanzo took the photo from it carefully, and tucked it neatly into the pages of his book. Instant photos did like the dark, after all. “It should develop in a few minutes. Remind me to show it to you when it’s done.”

“You’ve taken quite a few of these, haven’t you?” Hana asked with a teasing voice.

She got a nod, her jab clearly getting passed over. “Genji was always a fan of them. Had more of these little photos from our childhood than I could count. He took less and less as we got older though.” He stopped, going quiet as he stared at the camera. He turned it over, his eyes almost searching for something, before he let out a deep breath, and handed Hana back the camera. She took it carefully, then decided to return it to its drawer. She came back for the old t-shirt, which she knew was far too big on her, and had a band name she could only assume was American, and went to stuff it in her bag. It was soft enough and comfy enough for her to wear to bed, and she liked the art that was on it.

Laying down on a bench, Hana sighed, and closed her eyes. Boredom had her asleep before she knew it.

\- - -

She awoke to a shift in gravity. More specifically, a shift that sent her sleeping form over the edge of the bench. The graceful faceplant she had against the cold metal deck was a bonus wake up call. She was definitely awake now, though.

She grumbled a great sling of curses under her breath, before rising to her feet, rubbing her nose painfully.

Hana blinked, and strode to a window, realizing that she had somehow slept the whole rest of the flight, and then some. The sun sat low on the horizon, heavy and hot light radiating away from it. Hana rubbed the sleep from her eyes, grunting to herself irritably. She wondered why Hanzo hadn’t woke her up earlier.

She gathered her bag, and huffed, making her way off the ship. Tracer was outside, tapping a few things on a metallic pad. She was dressed casually, and she looked up as Hana passed by. “Well hey there sleepyhead! Make sure to check in with Morrison. Just a quick go-over with your mission brief.”

“I know, I know.” Hana grumbled dismissively. This wasn’t her first mission after all. “Where is Hanzo?”

“Grumpypants? He sulked off somewhere. Told me not to wake you when we landed.” She gave a lopsided grin. “I wasn’t going to anyway. You looked like you needed a good sleep, love.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“You were when you were drooling all over the bench, love.” Her lopsided grin was sympathetic now. “Been there, though.”

Tracer tapped a few more things on her pad. “I’m just finishing up on some paperwork. Was sticking around to tell ya where to go when you finally rose.” She glanced up. “Go on. Morrison is busy, don’t keep the old fart waiting.” With that, she patted Hana on the back, and strode away, turning her attention back to her pad.

Hana huffed, rubbing her sore nose a bit with her wrist before heading off to the Commander’s deck. It was a bit of a walk, and in the complete opposite direction of the barracks. She slung her bag more over her shoulder, trying to clear her thoughts as she went along. She wasn’t looking forward to what the Commander had to say about her performance. 

It was sloppy, she wasn’t focused. It was unlikely that a problem would arise, but she needed to be ready, just in case one did. That was how soldiers died on the battlefield. She of all people should know that.

Deep breaths. In and out. 

Her phone buzzed. She would have to check it later; now she was in front of the Commander’s office.

Deep breath. Open the door.

The room was empty, as it always was. A keyboard and monitor were awake on a mostly empty desk. Dumping her bag on the floor, Hana bent over and tapped in a login on the keyboard. After a few moments, she heard Athena open the communications.

“Connecting you with Commander Morrison.” Her cool voice said over the room.

Hana turned, and a holo disk on the other side of the desk sprung to life. In mere moments, the form of Jack Morrison materialized, a light blue shimmer over his features. What little of his face that she could see was scarred and old, as a majority was covered by a visor. But even so, he looked ragged. “Agent Song.” He said curtly as he looked up at her.

Hana gave a salute, prim and proper, just like the Korean military taught her. He waved her off, clearly not in the mood for formality. She wondered where he was now. She hoped she hadn’t woke him. She addressed him, and he shuffled about, as if going over files. “I think you know what I’m going to say, don’t you, Agent?”

Hana grimaced. He continued. “So I’m not going to bother saying it. You’ve probably run yourself ragged with those thoughts already.” His expression seemed to soften. “Or so I’m going to believe.” He looked up at her. “This was an unusual mission, Agent. For that, I will give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“Thank you, sir.” Hana said cooly, her expression flat.

“But I don’t want a repeat of this. War is hell, and I won’t lie, it feels like another is on the brink of happening. I need all my agents in top form. If you feel like you can’t give an exemplary performance, then I won’t have you as an Agent.”

Hana’s heart nearly froze. She steeled herself. “I can and will give my top effort and performance, sir. This was just a fluke, and one I will not repeat.”

Was she telling him, or herself?

“I will trust you on that, Agent.” Morrison said gravely. “I don’t want to see any more dead heroes.”

A silence fell over them, and Morrison eventually sighed. “Other than that, I don’t have any further briefing, and I don’t currently have any missions that require your expertise.” He shuffled with his files again, then stood. “Be on alert and ready just in case. But in the meantime, take the time to focus yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed, Agent.”

Hana gave another salute, and the communication ended, Morrison’s holo form vanishing, and the room going dim yet again.

Hana dropped her salute, and stared at the monitor on the desk. Get better fast. Yeah, she was definitely trying. She huffed, then bent down, picking up her bag, before exiting the commander’s office.

His words kept picking at her skin as she walked back to the barracks. She needed to get better, faster. To stop these nagging thoughts. To stop all the noise. To focus again. She was the best in the world, and now she was lagging behind.

She had somehow made it to her door. Her mind was completely blank, she didn’t remember most of the trip there. She tapped her key to the door, and it unlocked, letting her back into her room. It was exactly the way she left it. The door closed behind her, and she took the opportunity to dump her bag on the floor, and get undressed.

It was good to lay naked on her bed with a blanket over her. It felt childishly safe. She even debated about having another nap. But now she was too restless. This felt nice, but she had something picking at her. Her nerves would obviously pick at her until she shooed them, and she wasn’t going to get there by laying in bed like a baby.

A good majority of her being didn’t want to get redressed, but she decided to put on some gymwear, and pull her hair up into a bun anyway. A workout would certainly put the rest of those intrusive thoughts to rest. It usually did, at least.

As she gathered her gym bag, her phone buzzed. Whoops. She forgot to check that. She grabbed it off the table, and found several missed messages. A few regular emails, a reminder for an event long missed, and several from McCree.

She opened his messages first.

“Back in town, yet?”

“Hanzo says you were snoozin on the plane. Come see me when you wake up”

“Did Morrison gab your ears off? Ya normally respond by now”  
Hana felt a little embarrassed. She hadn’t meant to ignore him. She typed him back a quick response.

“Going to the gym. Need to do move.”

She could barely dismiss her other messages before she got a reply.

“Would you mind company?”

Hana stared at it for a moment.

“You do cardio?”

“Hurtful, little miss.”

“I don’t mind company, but you’ll eat my dust.” She was smiling now.

She waited for a response.

And waited.

Several minutes had passed, and she was still in her room, staring at her phone. She frowned, but just as she was about to put her phone away, she got another buzz.

“If I get to the gym first, you’re gonna be doing weights.”

She blinked, then typed quickly. “I highly dou-” Before she could finish, a picture popped up. McCree had taken a selfie in front of the gym. Somehow he had already gotten dressed and down there. Hana stared at the picture with disbelief.

“Ass” She finally sent.

She grabbed her bag off the floor, and scurried out of the room.

McCree was standing by the doorway to the gym when she arrived. He had on an old, faded tank top and similar sweats and tennis shoes. His trademark hat was gone, and his shaggy hair was all pulled back into a messy knot on the back of his head. Hana gave him a dirty look as he looked up. He returned with a grin. “There you are, sleepyhead.”

“How did you get here so fast?” She immediately asked.

He shot her a more smug grin. “I didn’t. You were just in your room the whole time.” He gave her a little laugh, his smugness melting away. “I was also lazing around most of the day. Was already prepared for a bit in the gym.”

Hana couldn’t hide her incredulous expression, then gave a disgruntled huff. “Well, fine. I guess I can do both weights and cardio. Let’s go, shall we?”

He nodded, and led the way inside.

The Gibraltar gymnasium was much larger than it seemed from the outside, and while it was almost completely empty now, there were still a few people within. McCree looked over at her. “Back in the day, you couldn’t come in around this time without the place being packed. The only machines you could ever use were for leg day.”

Hana quirked an eyebrow at him, and he tilted his head at her. “A lot of folks in Overwatch, soldier or otherwise, were pretty top heavy, if you know what I mean.”

The two talked as they began their workout. Stretches and water first, a small jog, mostly just to appease Hana, then the free weights.

McCree was a lot stronger than he looked. Hana spotted, but she wasn’t exactly sure she would be able to save the man if he got trapped under what he was lifting.

Hana had to admit she was impressed, though. McCree was much more healthy and strong than she gave him credit for. He was practically built for strength. Not that she was peeking. His muscles were big. His core was like a tree trunk, although quite a bit of softness had crept in as well. When his shirt peeked up, she couldn’t spy any sort of definition. Her eyes always darted away before he could notice them linger, though.

A break afterward. More stretches. Water. A good amount of breathing. Simple conversation there. But still Hana felt thoughts nipping and biting at the fringes of her mind. McCree seemed to sense this.

“I think I have an idea.” He finally announced, standing up and helping her to her feet. “We’ve got quite a few punching bags here, but there’s also a padded studio for more hands on fighting.”

Hana stared at him. “People at Overwatch actually fought each other?”

“Oh, all the time. Sparring always helped when folks were angry or frustrated. Reyes was in there all the time. You don’t know how many times a member of Blackwatch wanted to beat his ass for the orders he gave.” He smiled a bit at the memory. “He kicked all our asses, but he also made sure to let us know the reasons behind what he did. It kept us a whole lot closer than what you’d think. Besides, being able to punch a brother or a sister where it’s safe and supervised kept us a lot closer.”

Hana stared at him for a moment, as he seemed to be staring off into space. Finally, he shook his head, those sharp gold eyes looking back over her. “Maybe pummeling someone is just what you need.” He concluded.

Hana was willing to do anything at this point. “If you think it will help. Sure. What’s the worst that can happen?”

McCree laughed, but it seemed a bit forced. It ended with a slight grimace, but he wiped it from his face so fast Hana wasn’t sure she saw it to begin with. He nodded over toward the studios, and led her over to them.

He seemed to know where everything was. How often was he in here back in the day, she could only wonder. He pulled several pads from a cabinet, and then a roll of sports tape. He tossed it to her. “Believe me when I say you wanna wrap your hands. They will get very raw, very quick.”

It felt a little cliche, but she wasn’t going to turn it down. Hand to hand wasn’t exactly her strong point in training. She knew enough, and had above average scores, of course, but they were not the best.

McCree glanced over at her, then stepped into the center of the padding. It was soft enough to prevent a whole lot of injury, but it wasn’t going to hinder footing. McCree had light pads covering his arms, but his hands were still free. He had a fairly neutral expression. “Now. Imagine I’m your issue. Which one, I don’t care. Could be all of them, for all I know. You’re gonna beat them back. Unload as hard as you can, little miss.”

For a moment, Hana was hesitant. But only just a moment. She had a lot to be angry and scared and sick over. She let his words settle. And as they did, she felt fire. A hot breath filled her lungs, and she suddenly lunged.

McCree’s expression fell in surprise for a moment as she hurled herself at him, and he lifted his arm just in time as she struck. The blow was softened by the pads, but she had thrown a lot of momentum into it. McCree stumbled a bit, but was quick to recover, moving his arms to block as she threw several more punches at him. He grinned as she stepped back, and then flung herself forward yet again. She had a fury she could barely contain. 

“Keep it coming, Hana. What are you beating down?” McCree grunted as he absorbed all her blows.

“Fear!” She practically yelled, swinging wildly. “This damn fear!”

“Fear of what?” McCree asked with another grunt, his arms coming closer to his body as she began to strike with her elbows as well, more force being put into her volley.

She backed away a few steps. “I don’t know!”

McCree moved suddenly, his arms bent low, and with a sweeping movement, he swept his shoulder up, knocking into her chest and throwing her off her feet, sending her to the floor. She wheezed, and scooted away from him. “You never said you’d fight back!”

McCree grinned. “Your problems will always fight back, Hana.”

She growled, that fire alighting in her belly again. She quickly got back on her feet, and lunged at him again. He was still smiling as she landed blow after blow to the pads. When she got too close, he shoved her back, more than once sending her stumbling, but not onto her back again. “What are you afraid of?” He asked again.

“I told you, I don’t know!” She tossed at him again. Right swing, left swing, right elbow. Shoved back. She yelled in frustration. He nodded at her. She came again. Left swing, right punch, left jab, right elbow. Shoved back. He watched her expectantly.

She was getting angrier. This time she swung again, but instead of ending it with her elbow, instinct swung her knee up. To her surprise, she hit flesh, slamming into the side of his gut. McCree grunted, and she had him stunned. She took her opportunity, and swung her arm around, clocking him in the cheek with her elbow, and as he shifted to try and block her again, she swung her whole body around, bringing her heel around into his jaw, and sending him stumbling a few steps away.

He blinked, and felt his face in surprise. Hana blinked, her stance dropping as she readied an apology. Before she could utter an apology though, McCree lunged at her. She hurled herself out of the way, but his forearm caught her, and the two of them were slammed into the ground. He wasn’t done. Hana had to react. She rolled away before he could grapple her, and leapt to her feet, whirling around to see him coming at her again.

She ducked as he swung, and side stepped, seeing an opening, she struck him in the ribs, then hopped away, narrowly avoiding a swing from his leg. His eyes were wild, and he stood, eyeing her with great satisfaction. Was this what he wanted? He pulled the pads from his arms, and tossed them to the end of the room. He gave her another expectant look, and beckoned to her. “Come and get me, bunny rabbit.” His voice gave a low growl.

She sprung, and as she did, he swept out of the way. He was deceptively agile for his size! As he did, Hana felt a chop to her back, and she nearly tripped over herself, whirling about and swinging at him yet again. He caught her blows with his arms, but he felt a lot less protected. She swung and struck as hard as she could, but he was now much more expectant.

She brought her leg up once again, but the moment she did, his arm came down, using her momentum to grab her leg, and swing himself around, making her lose her balance. From there he let go, and swung wide, clocking her in the side of the head and sending her swirling to the floor. She blinked as she hit the floor, stars popping about in her vision.

McCree was standing over her, ready for her to get back up. “Is that one good strike the only one you’re going to give me, little miss?” He taunted, waiting for her to get back onto his feet. She stared at him for a moment, then scurried to a better spot, giving a series of jabs, then sweeping with her legs, knocking the back of his knee. He dipped, and his guard dropped, enough for her to throw another punch into his smug face.  
Bad move. That fucking hurt. She backed up, clutching at her fist painfully. McCree was reeling as well, but he seemed to recover a bit faster. A bruise on his brow now painting his features. He came at her this time, and she bent down, grabbing at his tank top, tossing him just enough off his balance for her to punch at his ribs again.

He stumbled away, panting a bit, rubbing at the jab on his ribs. He grinned. “If that’s how you wanna play this, Hana…” He grabbed the hem of his tank top, then pulled it off, exposing his upper half. She felt a bit of a blush on her cheeks. He really was built for strength. Several scars dotted his belly and shoulders, and his skin was flushed. He dabbed the sweat on his forehead with the tank top, and then tossed it aside. “Watch out, little miss. I can play a lot more dirty than you can.”

They traded blows for a while, McCree egging her on every time he knocked her down, and encouraging her every time she got a good blow on him.

Finally, he caught her arm, and swung her down, using all of his weight to pin her down. The both of them were panting, and she struggled beneath him, unable to do much except claw at mat and air. He grinned as he watched. “Not half bad, Hana. But I think this time I win.”

She growled and yelled, slinging a string of curses at him, before ending with defeat, closing her eyes and panting. He chuckled, bending down closer to her. “Did it help a little bit, at least?” He asked her, his voice low and calm, albeit a little out of breath.

She blinked her eyes a bit, then looked past him. The nagging thoughts on the fringes were gone. Her mind was clear as ever. “I… Yes.”

“Good.” He smiled, but he didn’t stand up just yet. She could feel his breath spilling over her. He seemed hesitant about something. She blinked again, and he finally gave an affirmative grunt, before sitting up, unpinning her arms. He got to his feet, and offered her a hand, which she took gratefully. He lifted her up, and dusted her off. “Next time, try and find a name for that fear. It makes you even stronger once you know your enemy.” He smiled and nodded, and she did as well, however slower.

“Good.” He said again, before huffing. “Now… If it don’t make a big difference to ya… I’m gonna go get a shower. You made me work up quite a sweat.” He laughed a bit, but she wasn’t about to say no. He was starting to reek. She was probably no better, though.

As they parted, McCree put his hand to her cheek, his rough thumb giving her an affectionate rub. “You’ll get there, little miss. I promise.” And with that, his hand withdrew, and he gave her a small wave as he stalked off to the showers.

Hana went back to her room first to grab her skin care kit, starting to feel sore all over. But now a new thought was on her mind. A smile. A sparkle in gold eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter! Leave a comment or a kudos if you haven't yet! I love getting feedback!


	6. Borrowed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAHHHH This took way too long to get out to everyone, I'm sorry! I got really busy with school stuff and had very little willpower to write. Sorry for the long wait, and thanks for all the patience!!

The next several days were spent getting back into routine. They were the same as before, just with a teensy bit more jet lag. Hana let herself get more sleep in the mornings, spoiling herself by pulling the blankets over her eyes when the hot sun crept in.

Every evening she forced herself to jog around the base. She didn’t bother inviting McCree. He wasn’t her babysitter, after all. This was supposed to be all on her, after all. And while McCree was a help, and she did appreciate being able to talk, she didn’t do it every day. Half of the time, she was too tired from running to move another muscle. She couldn’t go even if she wanted to, in that state. Other times she just felt she didn’t need to go.

For whatever reason, she had a new vigor. A confidence that was difficult to shake.

That morning, she had gotten up early. Earlier than… normal, at least. Her jet lag was all but gone. Thank goodness. She checked her messages from her phone, letting herself lay in bed for a while longer, before she finally got herself up. Her skin care kit was awaiting her, after all.

But first, breakfast.

She pulled on her slippers, which had her trademark bunny on them, and reached over to pick her phone off her bed before heading down to the kitchen.

The first thing that had her attention was a box of cereal left out on the counter. Judging by its weight, it wasn’t empty yet. Excellent. The world had decided on her breakfast for her this morning. She opened a cabinet, fishing a bowl from within, then returning to her cereal. She dumped some into the empty bowl, and then walked to the beverage refrigerator.

Her face fell.

There wasn’t a drop of milk left. In their place was a familiar IOU note with an adorably drawn pig and empty bottle. She huffed in disappointment.

“Little miss! I’m walkin’ down the hall to the kitchens! I’m givin’ plenty of warning as to not give you a scare!” Came an echoing voice from the hallway.

Hana gave the piggy note a dirty look before shutting the fridge, and stood up straight, looking at the door as a familiar man came strolling in. He was grinning ear to ear. He looked rather smug. Too bad he still didn’t have the bruise left from the last time she punched that particular expression.

“Please do not tell me that you do that every time you walk into the kitchen.” Already she felt her cheeks get pink.

His expression fell to a more sheepish grin. “Naw, I don’t. But when you didn’t notice me the first time I walked in, I realized I had gotten a perfect opportunity.” He smiled more endearingly at her, those gold eyes glittering. “Hopefully I didn’t actually embarrass you, little one.”

Her cheeks got a little more red. “I… No.” She had to turn her eyes away from him as she said it though.

“Yer cereal is lackin’ somethin’ there, little miss.” His voice was back to neutral. He was steering the discussion somewhere else now.

Hana looked down at her bowl, realizing she was still missing the milk to her cereal. “Oh! Uh, yeah. We’re out. I suppose I can just make some toast or-”

“Hate to interrupt, but,” McCree interjected quickly. “If you’re really in the mood for cereal, we still got some.”

Hana looked up at him, and sure enough, he was giving her a knowing grin. “I make sure to keep a few bottles stashed for emergencies, Miss Hana. Heh. Now follow me. Don’t forget a spoon.”

He turned right around, and she found herself compelled to do exactly what he told her to. She kept close, and he led her back through the barracks. She glanced around. This was new. She hadn’t exactly gone around exploring the other barrack halls before.

Just as she was about to ask where she was being led, McCree stopped at a door, and ruffled through a pocket of his sweatpants, before fishing out a key. He tapped it at the door, and with a small noise, the door swung open. He looked back at her, and held the door open. “After you, little miss.”

McCree’s room was… Not what she expected. The bed was about twice as big as hers, and the desk was about half the size of hers. The sheets were a tannish jersey fabric, and the blankets were of a southwestern American pattern.

Above his bed on a small shelf were several trinkets she couldn’t quite identify the origin of, but she assumed were Native American, and a small, worn, handmade dreamcatcher was hung on a nail in the wall. The name “Fareeha” was written on one of the feathers.

The trademark serape was hung on the wall near the door, as well as the familiar old hat. The wardrobe had one door open, so the mirror was out, and from what she could see, the inside was neatly kept. By the wardrobe was a gray mesh laundry basket, half full.

The desk had an old laptop shut and plugged in quietly whirring away atop it, as well as a stack of several notebooks and a cup full of pens and pencils. A plain calendar was on the wall, with one or two dates written on or circled in black ink, while one date was circled twice with red ink. Perhaps a mission date? There weren’t any notes written, just the circles.

The carpet was the same shade as it was in her room, but lacked clothes being thrown all over it. A multiplug was fit snugly against the wall, with several cords protruding from it. She followed one over to the night stand, and spotted a star projector on the corner. She wondered what sky he laid under at night. A small speaker was beside it, and she could hear soft, somewhat scratchy music playing. Perhaps an old folk record?

McCree strode past her, giving her a sidelong smile before walking over to the desk. He bent down, and reached under it, opening a mini-fridge that Hana had not noticed, and reaching in to pull something out of it. His hand emerged with a bottle of cold milk, and he gave her another smile.

“Don’t just stand there, lil miss. Sit wherever you’re comfortable.”

Hana gave him a singular nod, still looking over his tidy room, before sitting down at the desk. He placed the bottle down beside her. “I’d pour it for you, but I have a feeling I’d get the amount wrong.”

Hana did her best to give him back one of his sideways smiles. “You probably would. But thank you, McCree.”

He plopped himself down on his bed as she finished preparing her cereal, and she turned some to face him. He gave her a polite smile, not saying anything to her. The soft music played in the background, and Hana gave herself a moment to look around more.

The blinds were pulled up, so the warm morning light filtered in through the window. It was well lit, and overall very comfortable. She finally cleared her throat and spoke. “I have to admit, McCree, I would not have expected your room to be so tidy.”

He laughed some, giving her a big, somewhat bashful grin. “I’ll admit, I actually just cleaned up this mornin’. Yer truly seein’ it at its best.”

“Was there a special occasion?”

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to invite a lady into my space when I was doin’ it, if that’s what you mean.”

Hana felt her cheeks get a little hot at that. “Well… It looks nice. It even makes me have a little more respect for you.” She said somewhat dismissively.

McCree stared at her for a moment, a little grin peeking at the corners of his mouth. After watching it creep and grow a little larger, he scratched at his beard, chuckling a little. “Hanzo said that exact same thing, too... Once.”

Hana looked over at him, and he continued. “Y’all are a lot alike, sometimes. Even if ya don’t realize it.”

Her eyes drifted away some. The bitter old man who used to give her such a bad vibe, and she was like him? McCree seemed to read her mind. “He does come off really fuckin’ cold at first, don’t he?”

He shifted some, and she looked back at him. He had an uncomfortable look on his face. “I knew his brother back in the day, y’know. Knew what happened. Can’t tell ya why he joined, or what made them make up, but I can tell ya that I wanted to throttle him the first time I saw him.”

She turned a little more toward him, and he bit his lip some. “But that wore off quick. The more I got to know him, the less of an asshole he became.” At that, he smiled, and looked back at her. “And now look at where we are.”

Hana stared at him with a blank expression. What was the point of this story? Her bowl of cereal was almost empty. Sensing her thoughts yet again, McCree kept going. “What I’m tryin’ to say is… er, well…” He paused, trying to find his words. “I’m… not quite sure what happened between y’all out there, but try not to take it too personal.”

Hana blinked, giving him a confused look. He blinked back at her, and his expression quickly changed to confusion as well. Hana opened her mouth awkwardly. “What?”

McCree floundered a little. “I... er… Didn’t y’all have a fight? You haven’t joined us a lot since you guys got back, and when you did, you said next to nothing to each other, I just… Assumed…”

Hana stared at McCree for a moment. “We did not have a fight or anything, McCree.”

He looked at her expectantly, and she shrugged. “I just haven’t joined you guys a lot. I’ve been tired.”

McCree stared at her for a moment longer, but seemed to accept her answer. He looked away, pondering something to himself for a moment, then slowly looking back to her. By this point, Hana’s cereal bowl was empty.

He looked at her a moment longer before carefully choosing his words. “May I ask your opinion of him, then?”

“Of Hanzo?”

“Yes. Of Hanzo.”

Hana sat back a little. “You said it yourself. He’s cold.”

McCree looked at her expectantly. Was he hoping for more than that? Hana sighed. “He’s cold, alright? He did one thoughtful thing for me, and that was because of you. We did not talk much, and… I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to care as much as you do. We’re not friends like you are.”

McCree frowned at that. “I see. Well… Sorry for pryin’, if you’re uncomfortable.” He said with a cringe.

Hana slowly shook her head. “It’s okay. I just don’t know what you are trying to do.”

McCree looked at her. “I just thought y’all would get along more than you do, is all. Hanzo is… a good friend. He helped me a lot more than you would think. I sorta wish he’d do the same for you too.”

Hana stared at her feet, then sighed. “I suppose I could talk to him more.”

McCree gave her a heartfelt smile. “I think that would do you good. I am just one person, little miss. I unfortunately can’t help ya solve all yer problems, as much as I’d love to.”

Hana looked over at him with a frown. “You don’t have to, anyway. I don’t want to give you that impression.”

McCree shook his head. “It’s no problem, little miss. I’d do it for any of my friends.”

So they were friends now?

McCree shifted his weight a little, then stood, offering a hand to Hana as he did. “Well, yer all finished, no need to stay cooped up in here. Let’s get the day moving, yeah?”

Hana took her bowl, and his hand, and he lifted her to her feet. He led her out of his room, and back to the kitchens, where he waved a small goodbye to her.

She cleaned her bowl and put it away, and after a moment of thought, went back to her room to grab her skin care kit.

\- - -

When the late afternoon sun began to settle in the sky, Hana pulled herself to her feet. She had put on her exercise clothes a while ago, but she was forcing herself into an evening habit, no matter how tough it was. She donned her running shoes, grabbed her phone, headphones, and a plastic water bottle full of cool water, before heading out the door.

She had her own mental running track around the training wing. She would start in front of the gym, and do a loop around the rest of the buildings. The views were spectacular along the cliffside. It was also fairly open, and she felt like she could see into the horizon forever.

All in all, she rather liked her jogging route.

On her way to the gym, however, she spotted someone. He had on a low cut tank top, fitted sweats, and running shoes, his hair pulled back in that familiar wolftail, and his headphones in. He turned and saw her, and she almost flinched. Now she actually had to address him.

“Good evening, Hanzo.”

“Miss Song.” He returned flatly, his expression unchanged.

The ball was back in her court. She juggled her options carefully before continuing. “Are you taking a break?” She motioned to his ensemble. Clearly he was going to work out.

“I was about to begin, actually.” He glanced at his phone for a moment, but his eyes returned. However, he didn’t say more.

Hana floundered in her head. This man became more of a brick every day. What was she supposed to say now? She thought of McCree for the briefest of moments, and then looked at Hanzo with uncertainty. She didn’t have much to lose by asking, right?

“I actually was about to go jogging. Would you care to join me?”

She was offering, and now it was his turn to think. He seemed to think it over in his head, then turned back to her, his expression still as flat as ever. “I would not turn down the company. So yes.”

Hana was not sure what she was expecting, but the answer still threw her for a loop in her own head. Fantastic. Now she actually had to spend time with him.

“Do you have your own jogging route you like to follow, or would you mind taking mine?” She asked out of courtesy.

“I don’t have a concrete path, usually. If you have one, we should follow it.”

“Excellent. Keep up with me, then.”

She set off at a modest pace, setting a playlist on her phone, but leaving one of her headphones out. After a moment, Hanzo caught up with her, and jogged close to her, while keeping a respectful distance from her side. 

They jogged up a set of stairs, and Hana led them up onto one of the walls of the island. There weren’t a whole lot of them on the base, but on the cliff sides, they kept stability, and made a wonderful jogging track between watchtowers.

The wall spread across the cliffs along the southwestern stretch of the base. They were about a kilometer long, and didn’t take long to jog over. Beyond them was a concrete walking path, which overlooked the few sport courts close to the training wing. An actual jogging track was outside, which circled a field of overgrown grass. She guessed that the goalposts or nets for whatever sport held there were long since returned indoors, or taken elsewhere.

“I would not have guessed all of this laid out here.” She heard a voice beside her, and she glanced over to see Hanzo gazing over everything.

“This is the furthest out I have ever ventured on the base on my own.” She sounded more out of breath than he did. “I like the view of the ocean.”

He glanced out over it, the hot, early evening sun creeping toward the western horizon over the ocean. His gaze lingered, then eventually returned to her. “Does it remind you of home?”

 

As a small child, Hana loved the beach. She could remember playing in the surf with her mother in the late spring, and loved to collect the pastel seashells that had washed up on the shore.

The only shells now were husks of destroyed mechs, and bits of giant robot that littered the sand. Instead of the sound of laughter and the crash of the surf, there were only shotgun blasts and rockets, the waves crashing and showering the sand with salty mist.

She was assigned with finding those who went MIA. Either to find stragglers who had somehow gotten left behind, survivors who couldn’t get messages to them, or the bodies of those who weren’t so lucky or skilled.

Shells of mechs were more numerous than she wanted to admit. Most were personally painted, but the squadrons they belonged to were different. Hana didn’t personally know everyone in her squadron, but she recognized paint jobs, specific colors, specific motifs.

She spotted the same mech shell multiple times of the boy they all called “Berserker.” He had made it back with the rest of them, but he also had a shattered leg bone from a bad fall.

The mechs were designed to spit out the pilots if they were in danger.

They weren’t designed to make the pilot survive being tossed out.

The carnage that day was heavy. And it wasn’t over yet. Hana looked out over the water, over the corpse of a giant omnic, and over the glittering water.

She used to like the beach.

 

“Miss Song? Hana?”

Hana blinked. She had stopped in the middle of the path. The world was blurry. She blinked, and felt water flow down her cheeks, which suddenly felt raw. Hana blinked again, and quickly rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, suddenly finding her breath again.

“Hana, are you okay?”

She looked over. Hanzo was before her, his expression concerned. She stared at his face, and he took a breath of.. Relief?

“You were unresponsive. You just stared at the horizon.”

“I-I’m sorry.” Hana quickly apologized, choking on her own voice. “I-I don’t know. I don’t know what just happened.”

Hanzo shifted uncomfortably, then carefully squeezed her arm. “Let us go sit.”

“I’ll be fine. Just le-”

“No.” Hanzo interrupted her, his face stern. “You are not fine. You are weeping like a stream.”

He led her over to a bench, and sat her down, handing her a water bottle. That was hers. Did she drop it?

She took several gulps of water, and realized she suddenly felt exhausted. How could her energy have been drained that fast? Hanzo wasn’t speaking to her, was he? She looked at him, but he wasn’t saying anything. He just kept her in the corner of his eye.

Hana tried to remember the last thing that was said. What made her warp back like that. It felt like she was there all over again. It felt just like that day. Hana wiped her eyes, finally remembering their prior conversation.

“No, by the way.”

“No, what?”

“No, it does not remind me of home.”

Hanzo looked from her to the heavy evening sun over the water.

“Perhaps that is for the better, then.”

They sat in silence after that, watching the sun slip closer to the water. After a while, Hanzo turned to her. “Come. Let me walk you back to your quarters.”

Hana nodded, and stood, slowly following after Hanzo in the warm light. He looked over his shoulder, and slowed his pace so she could walk beside him. He was a man of few words. Hana dared to peek up at him.

Maybe McCree was right. Maybe Hanzo wasn’t a total ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter was supposed to be more Hanzo heavy, oops.)
> 
> Thanks for reading another chapter, y'all! Leave me a comment, and don't forget to kudos and bookmark if you haven't already!


	7. Refill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Crap, sorry for the wait, everyone!!
> 
> I had a really awful summer, and finding the inspiration to write was made even more difficult after Shooting Star came out. Hopefully none of y'all were wanting something super duper lore friendly when it came to the characters.
> 
> But hey, I tried for a while, right?
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

Hanzo took her on a slow walk back to the barracks. He made sure she drank a bit more water, and kept his pace steady, keeping a close eye on her without actively staring at her, which she was thankful for.

It was embarrassing. This was a spotlight she definitely didn’t want to be in, especially around someone she didn’t know very well. Somehow, he seemed to know.

Few words were spoken, and she felt some strange kind of solidarity in it. He had to have felt something similar to this at some point. McCree had said as such, after all, and she knew something particularly brutal had happened in his past, but she never known the specifics. Nor had she ever bothered to ask for them. Some things were probably better left in the past. And what mattered to her was the now.

And right now, he was showing her a kindness.

Hanzo kept the slow pace beside her. They had been walking for a while, somewhat directionless. At this point she was just shambling toward an aimless goal.

She looked up, and soon realized where they were on the base. A small sense of comfort swept over her as she gazed up at the familiar building. Hesitantly, she looked at Hanzo, who was looking at her with quiet, expectant eyes. They darted up for a moment, then back to her.

“Wish for a drink?”

“If you wouldn’t mind sharing one with me.”

He gestured for her to lead on, and she did so. Up the stairs, around the bend, up more stairs, through a small hallway, more stairs, and then finally moonlight.

The rooftop was empty, save for the old lawn chairs and the cooler. Not a soul beyond the two of them. Hana let out a breath. She was tired. A small drink and rest would be good for her.

She sat down, setting her water bottle down beside the foot of the chair, and looking off at the dark sky as Hanzo made his way to the cooler. She heard some clinking, and then the scrape of a chair being moved. When she looked over, he was beside her, two glasses and a bottle in hand. He offered one of them to her, and she took it. “What’s it going to be tonight?”

“Cheap garbage… But enough to put your thoughts away.” He didn’t smile, but she thought she could see a hint of mirth in his eyes. “...Jesse’s tequila.”

Hana couldn’t help but smile at that. It was a small jab she had heard between them plenty of times. “Shall I keep it a secret that we’re drinking it?”

“Perhaps. But I doubt he will notice any missing.”

“He is more observant than you give him credit for.”

“He also only reaches for this after a particularly rough day. When he decides wasting whiskey is not worth it.”

Hanzo poured the both of them a shot. The two of them took it in stride with each other, and Hana had to restrain herself from coughing.

“....This really is garbage.” She mumbled, the burn still in her mouth.

“And it really does do the job.” Hanzo replied, taking her glass and filling it back up. “One or two more will probably be enough for you.”

It didn’t stop at one or two more. Or three, or four.

It was only after the fifth that Hanzo stopped pouring.

“Any more and you won’t make it back to your bed.”

“You underestimate me.”

And yet he remained firm. “Wait a few minutes. If you still feel the same, I’ll consider it.”

“Fine.”

A few minutes was all it took for most of the alcohol to kick in. And holy crap did it kick. Hana blinked as she sat back in her chair, her hands folded in her lap. The rest of her water was gone at this point, and because she hadn’t eaten much at dinner, she was definitely getting the alcohol quick.  
Hanzo stood, albeit without his normal, stiff composure. Without a word, he went back to the cooler, and shuffled about with it. Before Hana could ask what he was digging for, he had returned, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in hand.

“Do you mind?” He asked, opening the pack and pulling one out with a glance her way.

“...Go for it.” She finally answered, blinking again. Her senses felt dull, a comfortable haze and laziness settling into her head and muscles.

The small glow of a lighter flicked up, and soon the scent of tobacco filled the air around them. Hanzo took a long drag, and exhaled, a long plume of smoke spilling from him. Odd. She didn’t think he inhaled that much.

Hana grinned at her thought. “You kinda remind me of a dragon when you do that.” She said in a low, cool voice.

His eyes peered over at her. They didn’t glimmer the same way McCree’s did, but were definitely prettier at night in the same way.

...or perhaps she was just letting the alcohol think for her.

She looked away, going back to look at the stars. There weren’t a whole lot… Not with all the light pollution in the distance… But there were enough. And the waning moon was still plenty bright.

She enjoyed the silent company. It was comfortable.

After a few more minutes of enjoying the sky, she turned back to Hanzo. “I think I can have a few more.”

Once again, his eyes came back to her, a silent examination going on in his head. “If you insist.”

He poured another shot. Just one.

“No more for you?” She asked.

“I’m comfortable right now.”

“C’mon. One more won’t hurt too much.”

He stared at her openly this time, sighing another plume of smoke. He relented, and filled his glass as well. With a clink together, they downed them, and Hana couldn’t help but cough at the burn this time.

“I think that should be your last.” Hanzo grumbled, carefully screwing the lid back on the bottle.

“...Probably.” Hana reluctantly said, already starting to feel her head spin.

She sat back, her eyes now turning to the stretch of ocean, and the horizon beyond it.

The silence was comfortable, but now she wanted something to say. Her mind was afloat, and searching for the words she wanted to ask. Would it be better just to ask? Probably.

“Hanzo?”

He responded with a small grunt.

“You aren’t as cold as I first thought.”

It was a rather backhanded compliment, she soon realized, but Hanzo just grumbled. “You know little.”

Hana looked back, unimpressed at his retort. “Do you enjoy coming off that way?”

He didn’t return her gaze, instead going to extinguish the nub of his cigarette. “I do not care of others’ opinions of me.”

“And how long did it take for you to become like that?”

He stiffened a little, a small scowl on his face. “...Too long.”

She stared at him a little bit longer, before looking away. “You’re lucky to be rid of it.”

He didn’t respond, so she continued, letting her head swim through her words. “There’s a whole lot of pressure all around us. Sometimes it feels like drowning. There’s so much on our shoulders, so much depending on us.” She closed her eyes, and slumped in her chair, leaning somewhat precariously on the arm. She lowered her head to the side, getting as awkwardly comfortable as she could. She wanted to lay down. “I… I worry it’s too much. That I’ll fail.”

Hanzo shifted beside her. “You’re drunk.”

“I want to be.”

He grumbled. Was he trying to avoid this? Because he did a shit job of doing so.

“I think we have had a long enough rest. Let me take you back to your room.” Hanzo grumbled quietly.

Hana grunted at that. “You’ll hafta carry me.”

There was a moment of silence, and Hana wondered if he was actually considering it. She cracked an eye, wondering if he was going to try.

She saw him with his hand to his face.

“McCree.” Hanzo finally said. Oh. He was on the phone. “Come get Miss Song. She insists she cannot walk.”

There was a moment of silence, and he sighed. She heard him mumble afterward. “...I would, but I don’t trust myself.”

Hana couldn’t hear what McCree was saying. She frowned, and closed her eyes again. “Whatever… McCree is softer than your brick-tits anyway…”

He huffed, and she settled back into her oddly comfortable position, feeling like she was going to collapse into a puddle at any moment.

...At least she wasn’t feeling… Like that, anymore.

She must have dozed off, because McCree was there before she knew it, chuckling at the sight of her awkward lounging.

“Heh. You seemed to have settled yourself in there rather nicely, little miss.”

She answered him with a grunt. He was so loud. Thankfully he got the message.

She heard Hanzo stand up beside her, and begin to move away. “She’s all yours now.” He said in a gruff voice.

Hana scowled, opening her eyes to shoot him a dirty look, but soon seeing that he was already walking away, his back turned to her.

McCree was soon the only one left, and he was standing before her. He looked to be wearing jeans and an open flannel shirt, a familiar tank top underneath. He looked shaggy, and that soft smile on his face didn’t help.

“You seem to be able to give dirty looks to folk just fine… Can you get to your feet, Hana?” He asked in a gentle voice.

She huffed again, and sat up, swaying some in her chair, before looking down to find her legs. There they were. Yep. She could still make them move. She moved to push herself up, and did so successfully.

Well, mostly, for she immediately had to take a step forward to keep herself from flopping to her face. But she did catch herself, and was now a bit more alert.

McCree smiled at her again, mirth in his golden eyes. “That was a pretty elegant show, there.”

“I’m’always elegant.” Hana said confidently, her words mushing a little bit together.

“I’m well aware.” McCree replied, his smile much more genuine. “...that said, though, you’re a little wobbly.”

“I am.”

“Do you want a little help?”

“I do.”

He nodded, and bent down some, placing a broad hand on her waist firmly, then, in a swift movement, slipping his arm behind her legs, and scooping her up off her feet.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself from flopping back. Secure in his grasp, he looked over at her. “Comfy?”

She nodded. McCree was very comfy. Metal arm included. He grinned at that. “Good.” He then started to move.

Hana quickly realized she did not care about appearances at that very moment. She was in workout gear, drunk, and being carried back to her room by some giant American. Somehow, nothing seemed to matter. And so she leaned onto his shoulder, and closed her eyes again.

She tried not to focus on how he smelled. Because he smelled nice. The hint of cigar smoke was still in his clothes, but his skin smelled… pleasant. Woodsy and earthy. Her head was spinning some, the motion of their movement making her world swirl.

She must’ve lost track of time again, because he heard him murmuring to her. He bounced her a little in his arms. “Hana.” She heard him murmur again. “I need you to open your door.”

The lights had been dimmed considerably in the hallway to save on power. No wonder she hadn’t been woken up by fluorescents. She sighed, huffing on his chest, before reaching down to pull out her keycard.

...Odd. She normally put it in that pocket. Did she put it in a different one? She patted hopelessly at her shorts, then at her other pockets. Her phone was in her hand, but… Not her keycard.

“Problem…” She mumbled.

“Did you drop it by chance?” McCree asked, turning his head to look around the hallway.

“I… Maybe… I dunno.”

McCree hummed for a moment. “Do you happen to know the keycode, then? These doors come with both for a reason.”

Hana thought about it. But all she could think about was forest-y scents. And how her head was spinning. McCree adjusted her a bit, patiently waiting for her slowed mind to come up with… anything.

“I… Think… Seven.”

McCree shifted. “Is there more to that?”

“Probably.” She said with difficulty. English was starting to get hard.

The cowboy made a noise of disappointment, then readjusted her in his arms. “In that case, you have two options, little miss.” He looked a little uneasy. “I can leave you in the infirmary, and let you risk gettin’ an earful from Angela in the early hours, or…” He hesitated. “Yeah.”

Hana moved a little in his arms. “What’s the other option?”

“Er... Deal with the smell of my bed.” McCree was looking… rosy, at this point. Maybe Hana was imagining it in the dim light.

Her body did not have to think that over whatsoever, but what few sensible brain cells she had were warning her against the second option. It’d be far more responsible to go with the first option.

But sensibility was not her priority right now.

“It won’t smell that bad. You don’t smell bad, Jesse.” Hana mumbled, unsure if he could even hear her.

McCree stiffened a little around her, almost frozen, before he swallowed heavily. “A-Alrighty then... Hana.” He stumbled his words back to her, and he swayed, before heading down the hallway.

His pace was slow, and she was getting lulled by the motion. She closed her eyes, and dozed off, letting McCree take her away.

She vaguely woke to feel someone pulling off her shoes and her skin on cool sheets, and an extra pillow being put under her head, but she felt far too heavy to try and wake herself further. She was comfortable. But she didn’t smell anything.

\- - -

Hana woke up to sunlight, and a slight headache. Ugh.

She wasn’t in her bed, she soon recalled. She didn’t have any plushies or big pillows around her. With a small sigh, she rolled over, pulling away one of the pillows below her head and hugging it to her chest instead. That’s right… She was taken to McCree’s room last night. But it was quiet. She felt like she was the only person there.

There was only one way to find out. Hana dared a peek. Her headache wasn’t super light sensitive, thankfully. But…

As she opened her eyes and looked around, she soon realized she wasn’t in McCree’s bed, or even his room.

This was the infirmary, and she was in a hospital bed surrounded by a curtain. None of the equipment around her was on. Hana blinked, then rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sitting up as she did so.

In a chair nearby were her shoes, and on the bedside table was a plastic cup full of water, but otherwise there was no sign of anyone else having been there.

The water was quick to disappear, and as Hana began to move around a little bit more, she heard someone moving around on the other side of the curtain.

Uh oh.

Sure enough, the good doctor herself pulled back the curtain, drawing them all the way around, and revealing that it was just the two of them in the room. Hana winced at the brighter sunlight, and she could feel Doctor Ziegler frowning at her.

“Good morning, Miss Song.” She said in a flat tone. Always direct. She would be a shrewd business woman if she wasn’t a doctor.

“Good morning, Doctor Ziegler.” Hana tuttered out in response, rubbing her eyes a little more, and slouching over herself.

“Here.”

Hana looked up, blinking away the brightness, and looking at what she held out. A full water bottle. Hana didn’t hesitate to take it and drink.

Mercy sighed, but seemed to refrain from saying what she wanted to. “Once you finish drinking that, go ahead and clear the sheets from the bed, and put them in the sanitation bin by the door. I’ll let you off on a warning this time, Miss Song, but next time, please refrain from excess.” She paused for a beat. “That said, if you need a professional to speak to, do know that I am here to help. Agent McCree and Mister Shimada are good allies, but I would not call their most common methods of coping… healthy.” She frowned as she said it. She seemed to have disdain for the latter. “If you ever have need, I am here.”

And with that, she bid farewell, and went back to her office, her shoes clacking on the floor as she went. Hana stared after her for a moment, but then looked to her shoes, and to the window. It wasn’t even mid-morning, judging by the sun, and if she was quick, she could get back to her room and to the showers before anyone knew she wasn’t there.

She wasn’t drunk anymore, and she now was required to keep up her appearances again. The last thing she needed was someone thinking that she was incapable.

And so Hana grabbed the sheets and pillows off the bed, stripped it clean, and dumped them in the oversized sanitation bin, before scurrying out of the infirmary, shoes in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I think about adding some fire to this burn, I just make it simmer more. Whoops.
> 
> My schedule has opened up a lot since school restarted for me, (oddly enough, right?) so next chapter ought to come out much faster than this one did! I greatly appreciate your patience, as well as your comments and kudos!
> 
> Oh, and thanks for reading another chapter!


End file.
